Game apparatus.



m. BLACKBURN.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.2I. 1917. RENEWED JULY 10. 1918.

1,279,637. Patented Sept. 24,1918.

STAT YPAT NT OFFICE.

WILMUTH n. B ACKBURN, or SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Batent.

APPARATUS.

Patented Sept. 24, 191s.

Application filed August 21, 1917, SerialNo. 187,327. Renewed July 10, 1918. Serial No. 244,337.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILMUTH E. BLACK- BURN, a citizen of the United States, and resident 'of Summit, in the county of Union and State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toimprovements in game apparatus, and has for its general object'to furnish a game to be played with a ball or projectile, in which both skill and chance will play a part and the operator will derive great amusement therefrom.

The invention consists essentially of the novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby .a ball or other projectile, after rolling along an inclined track, is deflected upwardly and trajected from the end thereof'and, during itsfiight, is; adapted to contact with a bafiie and to be deflected thereby into one or the otherv of a series of goals comprising a target. i

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views;

Figure 1 is atop plan view of my game apparatus with a part broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The game consists of a frame 1 within which is mounted a ball track 2 along which the balls 3 are rolled when the game is in operation. In the drawings, the frame is shown as inclosing three separate game appliances, so that three different players may play the game at one time. As all of the appliances are exactly alike, only one will be described.

The track is downwardly inclined from the counter or playing end of the appliance, and has its delivery end provided with an upturned portion 5 which causes the balls, when leaving the track, to be projected upwardly into the air. To prevent the balls from leaving the track during their travel down the incline, the track isprovided with the side rails 6.

Spaced a suitable distance from the end of small pockets '9, a large central pocket 10, and an apertured sloping shelf 11, into one of which it is the object of the player and, being of various sizes and arrangements, they may be numbered accordingly,

These goals are situated one above the other 7 the uppermost one preferably having; the. r

which openings lead to a compartment 13 greatest value in scoring. The small peck-.-

ets 9 are each provided with an opening 12 5 formed; in the rear of the target between,

the inner wall 8 and the outer-wall 14 forming the end Of-the frame. This compartment 13., as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3,,

is in communication with an inclined run-.- way 15 which returnsthe'balls tethereceivingcompartment 16 located beneath the counter at the playing end ofthe appliance. The large pocket 10 is also provided with an opening 17 which leads to a second compart ment 18 also formed between .thelwalls8 and 14:. By means of a pair of openings 19, arranged in the wall 8 and located below the pocket 10, this second compartment 18 is placed in communication with the upper surface of the shelf '11 which forms the lowermost goal of the target. The shelf projects outwardly from the wall 8 and is downwardly inclined therefrom so that a ball in being directed thereon will roll over its upper surface and find its way into any one of the series of holes 20 of relatively different diameters provided in" the shelf. After passing through the holes 20, the balls are then directed to the inclined runway15 which returns them to the receivingcompartment 16 beneath the counter and from whence they may be readily obtained by a player when desired.

A baflie 21 is mounted on the frame above the target and is arranged in the path of movement of the trajected balls so that the balls in striking the baflie may be deflected toward the target. The baffle, which is in the form of a board, bridges the side walls of the frame and is horizontally inclined. downwardly toward the discharge end of the track so that it will directthe balls rear wardly.

In playing the game, each player uses an appropriate number of balls. The player places these balls, one after another, on the upper end of the inclined track and the balls are permitted to roll down the track by gravity and are projected upwardly into the air by means of the upturned portion at the discharge end of the track. During its flight, each .ball strikes the battle and is deflected thereby toward the target and it is the intention that it be directed into one of the smaller goals, preferably the central uppermost goal which has the greatest value in scoring. Should the ball miss one of the smaller goals, it may be directed into the larger central goal, from which it will be directed through the compartment 18 onto the shelf where it will fall through one of the openings arranged thereon and find its way througth the runway back to the receiving compartment 16. I

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to such features except as may be required by the claims.

What I claim is V l. A game apparatus, comprising a ball track inclined upwardly at the delivery end for trajecting a ball therefrom, .an apertured targetspaced from the end of said track and a baflie arranged in the path of movement of v a trajected ball for deflecting the ball toward said target.

2. A game apparatus, comprising a ball track inclined upwardly at the delivery end for trajecting a ball therefrom, an apertured target spaced from the end of said track and a baflie mounted abovesaid target and arranged in the path of movement of a trajected ball for deflecting the ball toward said target.

31A game apparatus, comprising a ball track inclined upwardly at the delivery end for trajecting a ball therefrom, an apertured target spaced from the end of said track, and a horizontally inclined baflle mounted above the target and arranged in the path of movement of a trajected ball for deflecting the; ball toward said target.

4. A game apparatushaving a target including a plurality of pockets and an inclined shelf arranged below the pockets and having holes of different diameters, a ball track spaced from the'target and inclined upwardly at the delivery end for trajecting a ball therefrom, and an inclined baffle mounted above the target and arranged inthe path of movement of a trajected ball for deflecting the .ball toward said target.

5. A game apparatus comprising a ball track-having an upwardly inclined portion for :trajecting a ball therefrom, a target at the rear ofsaid track and a baflle arranged in the path of movement of the trajected ball for deflecting the ball toward said target..

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 17th day of August, A. D. 1917. v

- WILMUTH E. BLACKBURN.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe fiommissioner of Patents,

Washington,1).I3. 7 s 

